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Aged Care Workers in Australia: The Intersection of Employment Conditions & Migrant Status Sara Charlesworth Centre for Sustainable Organisations & Work Social Care Workforce Research Unit Policy Institute at King’s College 1 July 2015
Presentation* Australian context • Frontline aged care workers
• community care (HCWs) & residen:al (PCWs)
Ques1ons • Working condi:ons of migrant workers in aged care? • Intersec:on of migra:on/ employment/ care regimes in
produc:on of working condi:ons?
Framings • Intersec:ng care/employment/migra:on regimes (Simonazzi
2009; Williams 2012; Shutes & ChiaJ 2012)
• Dynamic process of formalisa:on/informalisa:on (Freedland & Kountouris 2012; Fudge 2012; le Bilan 2012)
* ARC: FT 120100346
Australian Context Care regime
• Formal vs ‘familial care’-‐ dis:nc:ve liberal welfare regime (Brennan et al 2012) • Government funding models/marke:za:on of care • Undervalua:on of paid care work
Employment regime • Deregula:on – reduc:on in protec:on of workers (Campbell & Tham 2012) • Safety-‐net: NMW + NES + Industry awards • Gaps/poorer condi:ons, esp in care awards • Mechanisms to address low wages in aged care
Migra1on regime • Historical dependence on permanent migrant labour →temporary migra:on
(Hugo 2009; Mares 2012) • ‘Same’ employment regime for temporary visa holders • But no direct recruitment of HCWs/PCWs
Source: 2012 Na:onal Aged Care Workforce Census & Survey
HCWs (n=2349)
PCAs (n=4856)
Birthplace
Aust (71%)
ESB (10%)
NESB (19%)
Aust (64%)
ESB (9%)
NESB (27%)
Private sector 6% 4.2% 10.1% 28.8% 30.7% 35.6%
PT (<38 h pw) 90.7% 89.2% 95% 86.5% 83.4% 86.5%
Casual 19% 23% 43% 10% 12% 10%
Av paid hours pw
26.3 23.6 21.3 31.1 32.6 31
Want more hours
31.1% 42.2% 29.4% 33.7% 29.9% 44.5%
Hold 1 job + 11.6% 18.3% 22.2% 8.5% 7.1% 15.7%
HCWs PCAs
Migrant Status
Aust-born (78%)
Perm Migrant
Temp migrant (1%)
Aust-born (61%)
Perm migrant (34%)
Temp migrant (5%)
PT (<38 h/w) 90.7% 93% * 86.4% 85.5% 92.5.%
Casual 18.9% 36.2% * 9.5% 9.4% 21.5%
Paid hours pw
26.8 23.3 * 31.2 32.1 27.2
Want more hours
31.1% 34.5% * 33.7% 38.9% 53.2%
Hold 1 job+ 11.6% 19.8% * 8.4% 14.1% 10.9%
Source: 2012 Na:onal Aged Care Workforce Census & Survey
Time in Aus - wash out effect of migrant status?#
HCWs: • No sig diff between Australian-‐born & migrants in terms of casual status BUT NESB more likely to remain casual than ESB migrants*
• Migrants v Aus-‐born and casual v other migrants more likely to work fewer weekly hours** • Years in Aus increases average weekly hrs for ESB, not for NESB migrants**
• No sig diff between Australian-‐born & migrants nor between ESB & NESB migrants in terms wan:ng to work more hours
• Migrants more likely to hold 1+ job than Aus-‐born;* no diff between ESB & NESB • Casual migrants 2x as likely to hold 1+job;* no diff between ESB & NESB
#Controlling for demographic & employer characteris6cs: sex, age, financial dependants, years in Aus & employer size, employer type (FP NFP & govt) **p<0.01 *p< 0.5
Time in Aus - wash out effect of migrant status?# PCWs: • NESB more likely to remain casual than ESB migrants* • Migrants more likely to work more hours than Aust-‐born*
• Male migrants work more hours than female migrants** • Casual migrants work fewer hours than perm/fixed term migrants**
• Migrants remain more likely than Aust-‐born to want hours+** • Casual migrants 2 x as likely to want more hrs than perm/fixed migrants**
• Migrants more likely than Aust-‐born PCWs to hold 1+jobs** • Casual migrants 2 x as likely hold 1+jobs than perm/fixed term migrants*
RMIT University©2015 School of Management/Centre for Sustainable Organisations & Work
#Controlling for demographic & employer characteris6cs: sex, age, financial dependants, years in Aus & employer size, employer type (FP NFP & govt) **p<0.01 *p< 0.5
Effect of migrant status over time?
• For HCWs migrant status & casual status intersect, esp for NESB • effect of being NESB and/or casual on working fewer hours, wan:ng more hours, holding 1+ jobs persists
• For PCWs, effect of migrant status on being casual/working fewer hours washes out, tho not for NESB • effect of migrant status on wan:ng more work or holding 1+jobs persists, esp for casual migrants
• Why fewer differences for PCAs over :me?
• rela:vely more protec:ve emp regime/perm migrant status?
• Why experience of NESB migrants different to ESB migrants?
• But rela:vely poorer condi:ons for all HCWs/PCAs in Aus LM
RMIT University©2015 School of Management/Centre for Sustainable Organisations & Work
Changes in migration regime • Increased use of labour agreements?
• Employer push for ‘relaxing’ skills criteria of skilled migra:on program
• Government endorsement of informal work to fill formal care gaps through migra:on?
• Harder for temporary migrants to become permanent? (Mares 2012)
Changes in care regime
• Balance between familial vs formal care?
• Funding models (→HC) /same ‘funding envelope’?
• Consumer-‐directed care→ individualised cash-‐for-‐care – more ‘flexible’ HCWs?
• No funding mechanism to address low wages
• Increase in private sector presence (US-‐based HC franchises)
Changes in employment regime?
• Poli:cal hos:lity to Fair Work safety-‐net
• Review of Modern Awards: • Specific in-‐home care award? • Further degrada:on of PT condi:ons? • Push for travel :me for HCWs not union priority?
• Increase in ‘sham contrac:ng’/dependent contractors?
• Zero hours contracts?
Conclusion
• ‘Migrants in aged care’ or ‘Migrant aged care workers’ or? (Howe 2009)
• Worse condi:ons for migrant/all aged care workers? èinformalisa:on of HC work?
• Future Prospects ?